Jackie Heitman, SVP of marketing at Bresnan Communications, helped the broadband telecommunications company drive direct mail results using a new marketing platform from Pluris.

Q: What drove Bresnan Commu­nication's decision to deploy an end-to-end marketing platform from service provider Pluris?

A: Last year, Bresnan wanted to use direct mail to market a new service to existing customers and prospects called Triple Play, which bundles together cable, Internet and phone service. The company's direct mail program prior to deploying the Pluris platform had been managed through three separate service providers, which made it difficult to make changes or pull timely reports. It was looking to house everything together and have control over the database, list pulls and analytics.

Q: How has the new system impacted Bresnan's marketing?

A: The company was already using targeted mailings. When it imple­mented Pluris' program, the market­ing department was able to develop a more exact contact strategy. We were able to determine who to contact more regularly and who to contact less. Previously, everybody was mailed the same amount.

Q: How has the company's outreach efforts to existing customers changed?

A: Bresnan is now employing a similar contact strategy to upgrade non-phone customers to Triple Play and is mailing more frequently to the group that has demonstrated a higher propensity to buy.

Q: What have the results been since implementing the platform?

A: Over a 12-month period, Bresnan was able to increase customer acquisition rates by 17% and post a $1.3 million increase in revenues that is attributable to the direct mail program. During that time, the company increased its mail volume by 700,000 pieces. Approximately 200,000 of these went to new customer acquisition, with the rest to existing customers.

Q: To what do you attribute the program's success?

A: It isn't just the quantity of mail. The marketing department is able to test and improve mailings more easily now than ever before. The modeling is updated on a monthly basis and we're able to test within the buying cycles of contacts. We can also easily deliver data to the organization showing how direct mail results are improving and how the program is performing.